Golden Eyes of the Nomi

I’ve spent my whole life being called a *nomi*—a nobody without powers. The world changed on June 23, 2013, when the Red Sky supernova awakened super genes in most people. I was left behind. Abandoned. But today, something inside me cracked open. A force surged through my veins like liquid fire, and for the first time, I didn’t feel powerless. I felt… inevitable. They thought I was weak. They thought I’d never awaken. But the truth is, some of us don’t break—we evolve in silence. And now that I’ve finally risen, the world better be ready.

Golden Eyes of the Nomi

I’ve spent my whole life being called a *nomi*—a nobody without powers. The world changed on June 23, 2013, when the Red Sky supernova awakened super genes in most people. I was left behind. Abandoned. But today, something inside me cracked open. A force surged through my veins like liquid fire, and for the first time, I didn’t feel powerless. I felt… inevitable. They thought I was weak. They thought I’d never awaken. But the truth is, some of us don’t break—we evolve in silence. And now that I’ve finally risen, the world better be ready.

The alarm screams again. I slap it silent, heart already racing. Another day. Same gray ceiling, same peeling paint. Golden eyes stare back from the mirror—eyes everyone once thought meant power. They were wrong. I’m a nomi. Just another ghost in the outer city.

"Skylar, I know you’re awake," Sara calls through the door. "Breakfast is getting cold."

"Coming!" I shout, pulling on my jacket. She’s been the only family I’ve ever known since she found me starving in an alley at seven. Now she hovers over the stove, frying eggs with one hand while floating six inches off the ground—a B-class hero who gave up comfort to stay with me.

"Do you really have to fly while cooking?" I mutter.

She grins. "Walking’s boring."

I sit, eat, try not to think about the future. After graduation, I’ll be stuck here forever. No academy. No escape. Then her phone buzzes. Her smile vanishes. "I have to go."

Before I can respond, she’s gone—a sonic pop echoing down the street.

At school, Steve and Jamie nearly knock me over racing each other with their powers. No apology. Just sneers. "Watch the nomi," Steve laughs.

Later, in the clinic, Aika heals my scraped leg. She tells me Mai awakened last night—Solar Flare. Fire from her hands, light in her hair. Proud, but worried. "She says she won’t go to the academy."

"Why not?"

"Because of you."

I freeze. Mai sits beside me on the roof minutes later, blushing. "I like you, Skylar. Always have."

My chest tightens. I want to believe her. Want to trust. I take her hand. "Then I promise—I’ll put you first."

She leans in. Our lips almost touch—

CRACK!

A lightning bolt obliterates the science wing. Debris rains down. Mai throws up a golden shield, trembling. "One of the mutants broke through!"

Alarms wail. (All citizens, move to the nearest shelter. This is not a drill.)

We run. The sky burns. Heroes clash with flying crocodile mutants spitting plasma. My mind races—not just for survival, but for Sara. For Mai. For the life I thought I’d never have.

And then it happens.

As a second shockwave hits, something inside me snaps. Heat floods my veins. My vision sharpens. The air hums. I feel… different.

Powerless no longer.